The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the new plates will be distributed when vehicle owners apply for or seek to renew their license plates over the next couple of years. State officials aim to have the plates in place before Missouri's 200th anniversary in 2021.

The bicentennial design features red and blue wavy lines to represent Missouri's rivers, with the state seal in the middle. The new design will replace the current "bluebird" models that feature the state bird atop a hawthorn, the state floral emblem.

The new license plates cost the state about $17 million. The money will be returned by charging residents extra fees for regular personalized plates.